Submarine lifting device



Sept. 27,1927.

1,643,733 P. c. woon SUBMARINE LIFTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 22. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l I um l Mull lil 1M,

Pil C Sept. 27, 1927;

SUBMARINE LIFTING DEVICE P. C. WOOD Filed Sept. 22. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 27, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FHILIP C. WOOD, OF JOH'NSTONVILLE, CALIFORNIA SUBM-ARINE LIFTING DEVICE.

Application led September 22, 1926. Serial'No. 137,078.

ing the caisson with air iioats the su marine to the surface.

An object of my invention is the construction of a submarine lifting device by which a single large caisson with a rapp ing device connected thereto may e sunk, the grappling device engaging a special ttino` on the submarine and by the inflation o the caisson with air the submarine is elevated to a position slightlybelow the surface of the water. v

A more specific object of-my invention is forming a caisson with a piston and a tubular plunger iitted therein, the plunger being suitably guided and having the grappling tongs on the lower end ,thereof and a hose pi e or the like is connected from a workship to the hollow caisson preferably through lthe plunger and thus allowing air to be let out of the caisson to sink same and to be pumped therein to raise the caisson with the submarine caught by the grapples.

Another object of my invention is connecting the caisson direct with hoisting cables connected to the workship so that an additional lift by said ship may be given if necessary.

A further object is to provide a substantially water-tight connection between the plunger and a special fitting on the submarine so that when the same is raised to a4 position slightly below the surfacethat the crew may escape from the submarine through the tubular plunger into the caisson and out to the work vesse c A detail feature of my invention is 1n providing a self-centering plunger which will center the grapples to grip the fitting on the supbmarine and having an automatic de-y vice for iniating a tubular flexible acking with air to make a water-tight seal etween the plunger and the fitting on the submitrine. I also provide signal means between the surface and the, submarine.

My invention will be more readily understood fromthe followingdescription and drawings, in which; v

Figure 1 is a perspective view with the caisson in vertical section, showing the relative position of my appliance before 'i sinking to grapple a submarine;

Fig. 2'is a perspective view with the caisson in section, showing the` submarine caught by the grapples and before infia'tion of the caisson with air;

Fig; 3 is another perspective view with the caisson in section, showing a later ste of the process with the caisson iniiated an the submarine raisedto a position close to the surface and with the crew escaping therefrom;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the lower part of the plun er and the-submarine fitting, showing t e internal mechanism of the plungerl in elevation;

Fi 5 is a horizontal section of Fig. 4 onl the line 5-5 in tliedirection of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section throughuthe i u' upper part of the tubular plunger and the piston therefor. v

Referring first to' the illustrations of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, my submarine lifting device has a caisson which is designated generali by the numeral l, this caisson having preterably cylindrical vertical walls '2, a topolosure 3 and being open at the bottom 4. 'A plurality of guideways 5 are formed on the sides oi the caisson, these bein walls of the casing.

' A plurality of grappling hooks 12 are secured to thelower end of the tubular plunger, this plunger having a plug type of end 13 which is adapted to fit internally of the grappling fitting 14 mounted onl the illustrated as directly opposite and a plura ity of guide bars 6 slide therein, these having heads 7 acsl submarine, this itting having an annular i I shoulder 15 integral therewith over which the grapples engage as hereunder set iortli.A The workship 16 is provided with an air' compressor equipment designated by.v the numeral 17 vfrom which a hose 18' extends to the caisson,l being vpreferably connected to the lower end of the tubular plunger. A lifting cable 19 is secured tov the top of the .caisson and passes over-a derrick 20 on the Work vessel, being operatedQ by a winch or `the like 21.

The detail construction of'thefipiston is substantially as follows, 'having vreference toFig. `6, This piston 11 has a heavy in-` Vno ternal flange 22 through which the tubular plunger l0 extends, this plunger having a head 23 at the top and being secured to the wall 24 of the piston in any suitable manner. The iston is provided with a heavy packing oli suitable material 25 held in place by a ring 26.

The details of the lower end of the plunger and its connection to the submarine fitting are substantiallyv as follows, having reference to Figs. 4 and 5:

The grapples 12 comprise heavy lever arms 27 centrally pivoted on pivot pins 28, the lower end of the grappling hooks having an outward inclination as indicated bythe numeral 29 and having a hook 30 on the inner side. Heavy coil springs 31 positioned between sockets 32 in the tubular plunger and recesses 33 in the upper end of the grappling levers, press the hooks of said levers towards each. other. The plug end 13 has a closed lower end 34 with a man hole plate 35 attached thereto by bolts on the undersurface. A heavy ring packing 36 slightly tapered is held in place by a ring 37 secured to the bottom of the plunger and an expandible` tubular packing 38 of flexible material such as rubber is secured around the tapered.

plug end of the plunger land lits against a shoulder 39.

- lAn inlet air pipe 40 is connected through 'la duct- -41 to the hollow expandible packing the taper of the packing 36 and the expandible hollow packing 38. This fitting is securely fastened to the submarine by means of bolts 49 or the like and has a artition 50 therein vwith a manhole 51, the olts for the manhole being on the submarine side.

l `It will be seen from Fig. 4 that when the plunger and the 'litting are secured together there is a spacev 52 and check valves 53 are connected to this space to allow the water trapped in the fitting to pass out therethrough but to prevent the inlet of water.

A drain pipe 54 leads from this space to the submarine and is controlled by a valve.

It will be noted that the lower manhole 51 is'larger than the upper-manhole 35 so lower end of the tubular plunger, this con-l nection being illustrated by a bracket 59, the solenoid having an armature 60 positioned to tap on the closed end 34 of the tubular plunger, the taps to be governed according to recognized signals and to be interpreted by the crew of the submarine. A telephone transmitter 61 is secured adjacent the closed end 34 of .the tubular plunger and would detect answering signals given in the submarine by tapping 011 the submarine iitting.

'lhe general method of using my subnarine lifting device is substantially as folows:

When the device is inflated with air as shown in Fig. 1, such air driving the piston downwardly, the .caisson would be self-floating, having considerable buoyancy.. The eX- pelling of the air by allowing same to iow out of the caisson, preferably back through the hose 18 will allow vthe piston to rise and the buoyancy of the casing would 'be decreased to such an extent that same will sink to the b ottom and may be gradually lowered by the cable 19 controlled from the work vessel. When the plug end of the tubular plunger engages the central portion of the submarine fitting the plunger is guided therein and the grappling-levers are forced over the shoulder 15 4on the submarine fitting, becoming securely clamped i'n place. At the same time the packing 36 is compressed and the valve 44 actuated by the stem 45 engaging the ring 47 on the fitting, thereby allowing compressed air or the like in the tank 43 to lill the hollow expandible packing 38, thus forming a substantially leak-proof connection of the plugendof the tubular plunger and the submarine fitting.

When it is desired to raise the submarine,

air is forced -from the work vessel through the hose into the caisson, preferably through Y the tubular plunger and this forces the body of the caisson upwardly in reference to the iston. This action is continued until the uoyancy of the caisson is suicient to lift the submarine. Insome operations it may be Vdesirable to maintain the buoyancy slightly insutlicient to lift the submarine and to utilize the cable 19 for giving the additional lift andthereby control the rate of rising as desired. A l

^ When the submarine is elevated to a position close'to the surface the crew may' escape from the submarine in the manner above mentioned and it will be quite safe for the crew of the work vessel to open the manhole 57 intermittently to allow the members of?. the crew to escape. This manhole may be` arranged in the form of an air lock as is v the plunger having aplug at the lower end @with a hollow expandible packer on the exterior ot same, a submarine having a fitting common practice in caisson work.

It will therefore be seen that by my construction I am enabled to lift a submarine by a single unitary caisson construction'to communicate with the crew in the submarine and to allow the crew to escape when the caisson rises to the surface..

It is manifest that it may be desirable to change the form of the caisson and possibly to utilize a plurality of same working together, each engaging a separate littin on the submarine. It may be necessary t erefore to change my invention in general construction or in specific details. Such changes would be within thel spi-rit 0f same as set forth in the description, drawings and claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A submarine lifting device comprising' in combination a caisson having a' extending downwardly therefrom wit graplunger plinghooks on said plunger, a fitting on a submarine to be engaged by the lower end of the plunger and the grappling hooks, and means to inflate or deflate the caisson with air. l 2. A submarinelifting device as claimed f in claim 1, the fittingand the plunger having means to allow passage of the crew of the submarine into the caisson.

3. A submarine lifting device comprisingl in combination a caissonl having a movable tubular Aplunger with a plug on the lower end, a submarine havin a fitting with a socket to be engaged by t e plug and having means to engage the gra pling hooks, means to allow deflation of the caisson and the drawing of the 'plunger into same to allow the caisson to sink, ,said means allowing in. flation ofthe caisson to increase the buoyf ancy-to vraise the submarine.

4. A submarine liftingdevice comprising I in combination a caisson having a piston with a tubular plunger connected thereto, grappling hooks connected to the plunger, va-submarine having a fitting with a socket to be engaged by the lower end of the plunger andthe grappling hooks', and means to fill the caisson with air or allow emptying of saine to move the piston and hence change lthe buoyancy of the caisson-.f

5. A submarine liftin deviceas claimed in claim 4f, the -submarine iitting having a manhole therein and the caisson having a manhole at its lower end registering. with the manhole in the fitting, to allow passa e of the crew of the submarine through it e manholes, the plunver and into the caisson.

6. A submarine in combination a cylindrical caisson close Zlifting device comprising at the top and open at the bottom, a piston having a tubular plunger extending downwardly belowthe bottom of the caisson,

grappling hooks connected to the plunger, l

tank to the expandible packer, having a valve therein, and means actuated by the engagement ofthe plug and the fitting to open said valve.

8. A submarine lifting device comprising in combination a cylindrical caisson having guideways on the'side, a plurality of guide bars slidable therein having a spider conr nected to their lowerl ends, a piston slidable .in the caisson having a plunger connected to the spider, and grappling hooks con- .nected to the lower end of the plunger, and

means allowing inflation and deflation of the caisson with air.

9. A submarine lifting device as claimed i in claim 8, having a submarine with a titting tof'be engaged by said grappling hooks, and a signal means in the plunger comprising means to give a tapping sound and tele-v phone device to receive sound from va submarine. i

- 10. A submarine lifting device comprising in combination a cylindrical casing having a ico closed top and an open bottom", a piston' having a tubular plunger extending through the bottom, means Ato guide the plunger, a plurality of grappling hooks in the form of levers pivotally connected to the' plunger 'Y andpspring pressed to move the hook por- .tions.together, the lower end of the plunger being closed and havingv a manhole therein,

a fitting for a submarine having a partition, a socket formed by the fitting above the partition, a manhole in the partition, and means 4 on the fitting to engage thehooks vofthe v 120 U 4 lifting device as claimed :f4 1n claim 10, having alixed packing between the lower end of the plunger and the fitting,

grapple. 11. A submarine an expandible hollow packer vsecured to the plunger engaging the fitting, and means actuated by the engagement of the plunger and the fitting to lill the expandible packer with air. f 1

12. A submarine lifting device as lclaimed in claim 10, having a solenoid with an arlad mature positioned to strike the lower end to the expandible packer, having a valve of the plunger to give a signal, and a teletherein, and means actuated by the engagee i0 phone transmitter positioned in the plunger ment of the lug and the fitting to open said to receive sounds from the submarine. valve, and aving outlet check valves be- 13. A submarine lifting device, as claimed tween the plug and the tting.

in .claim 6,l the means to force the expandible In `testimony whereof I have signed my iiuid into the packer comprising a tank havname to this specification.

ing a compressed fluid, a pipe from said tank P C. WOOD.

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